Concrete Cat

October 9, 2009

Over the last few months there has been a huge increase in the amount of fireplaces that have been commissioned. I have not been able to figure out why there has been such a big influx in fireplaces being designed maybe it’s because it gets so cold here in Edmonton. Fireplaces are one of my favorite things to work on! Fireplaces are great because the fireplace is a central showpiece in a home, if you want to spend money on any design elements in your living room the fireplace is the place to do it. Doing a fireplace surround or hearth in concrete is also very easy to retro fit to an existing gas or wood fireplaces as I do almost all the work off site. And comparing concrete to any other stone work not only gives you the best option for creativity but has a value that is unbeatable compared to other stone work.

For Example this hearth that was put into a home in the neighborhood of Parkview here in Edmonton Alberta, has a few details that are impossible to capture with anything other than concrete. The first and most obvious detail is that the hearth is following a curved corner wall. Rather than have a smaller squared hearth jutting out from the wall below the fireplace we followed the entire curve. Not only does this accentuate the curved wall itself, it creates a great low bench for sitting or setting a glass of wine on while entertaining.

We also did a very interesting form of exposing where we exposed larger stones in wavering pattern running the length of the hearth. This gave the hearth a kind of dry creek bed look, the inspiration for this was that the house itself boarders on a creek.

The depth of the hearth also tapers as we travel from one end of the hearth to the other. There are some very practical reasons for this as we have a window on the far left that constrained our depth. The tapering curved line of the hearth creates interest and draws the eye along the length of the hearth rather than focusing the eye to one fixed position. The lines really help the viewer focus on the sweeping scale of the piece and keep it connected to the room as a whole while giving it a personality of it’s own.

The winters are cold here in Edmonton and they start as early as October, why not upgrade your fireplace so it is place that people will be drawn to in your home.